Insomnia before childbirth: causes. How to deal with sleep disorders: tips

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Sleep is the best cure for all diseases. And this is not a common statement, but the pure truth. It is during this period that the human body restores strength - both mental and physical. A person suffering from insomnia becomes irritable, aggressive, looks tired and sickly.

Especially quality sleep is essential for expectant mothers. After all, they are responsible not only for their he alth, but also for the well-being of the baby. Nevertheless, a huge number of expectant mothers are faced with such a nasty phenomenon as insomnia before childbirth. Why does my husband also often have sleep disturbances during this period? What should future parents do to establish a sound and he althy sleep?

Let's find out what causes insomnia before childbirth, how many days before childbirth most often causes trouble and how to deal with this phenomenon.

What is dangerousinsomnia

A he althy person should spend about 7-8 hours in bed. In this case, he will feel cheerful and rested. Those who sleep less than 6 hours a day, after a while, begin to feel he alth problems.

To bear a strong and he althy baby, a woman needs strength. During this period, the need for adequate sleep increases significantly, and the body needs 8-9 hours of rest to recover.

Insomnia before childbirth doesn't just make your mood worse. Prolonged lack of sleep causes irritability, and in advanced cases can lead to severe depression. As a result of sleep disturbance in a pregnant woman, the load on the heart increases many times, memory deteriorates, and general immunity decreases. The body of a future woman in labor becomes especially vulnerable to a variety of bacteria and infections. And given the fact that ladies in an “interesting position” are not recommended to take any medications, insomnia before childbirth can pose a serious threat.

Sleep disorders are usually associated with another negative effect on the body. Insomnia leads to a set of extra pounds. Suffering from idleness and trying to calm the body, many women go on a "hike to the refrigerator." Additional calories "eaten" at night are instantly deposited at the waist. It will not be easy to get rid of them later, because with regular sleep deprivation, metabolic processes in the body are disrupted.

Time classification

Classic insomnia can beclassified into several types. For example, depending on the time, it happens like this:

1. Starting (difficulty falling asleep). A woman tosses and turns in bed for a long time, counts “rams”, instantly wakes up at the slightest rustle in the room. In this regard, the fear of insomnia is formed, increased anxiety is observed. The desire to sleep disappears as soon as the head touches the pillow.
2. Medium (intrasomnic disorder). During the night, a person wakes up repeatedly for various reasons and has difficulty falling asleep afterwards. In this case, a person who has been sleeping anxiously all night will feel overwhelmed throughout the next day. Sleep turns not into rest, but into real torment.
3. Final (postsomnic disorder). This type of insomnia is characterized by waking up too early for no apparent reason. Inadequate sleep further leads to daytime sleepiness, reduced work capacity, irritability, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Classification by reason

Different types of insomnia can also be identified as a result of identifying the causes that provoked the phenomenon:

1. Situational. This phenomenon occurs under the influence of various factors, both positive and negative properties. Situational insomnia is typical for the first trimester of pregnancy. A woman not so long ago learned about her condition and realized it. She thinks about her future life, rejoices or worries, buildsplans. Such insomnia lasts no more than two weeks and does not require medical intervention.
2. Short-term. This type of insomnia is formed under the influence of physical and psychological changes that a woman experiences. The toilet becomes your best friend. After all, the ever-increasing uterus puts more and more pressure on the bladder. At the same time, the fears associated with pregnancy are growing. The woman begins to be actively interested in "how it will be." Especially often, short-term insomnia accompanies the occurrence of various complications and pathologies of pregnancy. To minimize the risks and provide the body with a good rest, you should definitely consult a doctor.
3. Chronic. Such insomnia lasts for several months in a row and could appear long before pregnancy. It is often based on some psychological or somatic disorder that requires the mandatory intervention of a specialist. The consequences of this condition can be hallucinations, severe depression, chronic overwork of the body, double vision and other consequences.

Physiological causes of insomnia

Why does insomnia occur? How many days before childbirth does she begin to disturb the expectant mother? First of all, the culprits of such an unpleasant phenomenon are purely physiological reasons.

Why does insomnia before childbirth simply poison the life of a woman in position? Everything is very simple. The larger the fetus becomes, the greater the load on the mother's spine becomes. The bladder is underconstant pressure. And over time, the load only increases. The skin in the abdomen and on the chest stretches and begins to itch, the legs swell, and so on.

Here is a short list of the most common physiological causes of insomnia:

• load on all parts of the spine;
• pain in the lumbar and pelvic region;
• edema and cramps, lack of magnesium and potassium;
• frequent trips to the toilet, especially at night;
• heartburn, nausea, complex reaction to habitual tastes and smells;
• regular fetal movements;
• hormonal changes in the body;
• itching and irritation of the skin in the chest and abdomen, the appearance of stretch marks;
• excessive sweating;
• inability to find a comfortable position for sleeping, limited ability to lie on the stomach;
• shortness of breath;
• inability (especially for long periods) to sleep on your back.

Psychological factors

Insomnia before childbirth is also formed due to psychological changes occurring in the body of the expectant mother. These include:

• chronic fatigue;
• nervous strain;
• stress;
• fear of the upcoming birth;
• anxious sleep, chronic fatigue;
• general irritability.

By the way, it is psychological factors that often cause insomnia in men whose wives are in an “interesting position”. For malepregnancy is often something out of the realm of fantasy. Therefore, there is an opinion that the fear of childbirth in future fathers far exceeds the experiences of the pregnant woman herself.

Daytime sleep preparation

In order for insomnia before childbirth to cause as little trouble as possible, you need to start getting ready for bed right in the morning. A list of simple recommendations based on the personal experience of women who have successfully coped with this condition will help with this.

1. Try to avoid overworking throughout the day. Trying to exhaust themselves as much as possible in order to collapse from fatigue by the evening, women make a big mistake. After a too busy day, the body of the expectant mother is simply not able to stop. Faces, events flash before my eyes, thoughts about unfinished business are spinning in my head. Insomnia in this case is guaranteed.
2. Despite the fact that pregnant women are often advised to take a day off, it is better to refuse lunchtime sleep. If you experience difficulties with a night's rest, it is better to replace daytime sleep with reading a book or listening to light, calm music.
3. If nightmares interfere with sleep at night, talk about it with your loved one. The fears expressed aloud, firstly, will help to make sure that they are not serious. Secondly, the voiced negative emotion loses most of its power, and the night's sleep will become much calmer.
4. Women who have not been able to give up bad habits, it's time to do it. Smoking and even moderate alcohol consumption lead to a sharp vasoconstriction. This helps to reduce the level of oxygen in the blood and makes the body a little excited.
5. When a woman's work is connected with motor activity, it is better to move it to the first half of the day. In the evening, a light walk in a quiet place is enough, no more than 30-40 minutes. A square, a small park, a playground, any place where the noise of the city bustle does not reach is perfect.

How to get ready for bed in the evening

So, you are worried about insomnia before childbirth. How far in advance do you need to start preparing for sleep to improve its effectiveness? How to do it right?

1. Try to avoid any stressful situations. Avoid watching horror movies and other horror stories. Minimize motor and psychological activity: outdoor games with children, sorting out relations with relatives, cleaning, washing, visiting or other noisy events.
2. Exclude from your diet foods that have a stimulating effect: strong tea, coffee, cola, chocolate. Eat no later than 3.5-4 hours before bedtime. Try not to eat heavy food in the evening: meat, legumes, melons, oily fish, dumplings, and so on.
3. Try not to drink a lot of water at night. This will not only lead to swelling, but will also force you to visit the toilet several times a night.
4. Before going to sleep, it is better to take a pleasant warm bath with aromatic soothing herbs or a shower. Chamomile, lavender, calendula are perfect. A wonderful continuation of water procedures will berelaxing foot or lower back massage.

A few tips

Probably, every pregnant woman has experienced such a phenomenon as insomnia before childbirth. What to do in this situation? How to help your body without harming your baby?

Warm milk with honey, drunk 20-30 minutes before bedtime, is an excellent sedative. If you don't like dairy products, a weak herbal tea that doesn't contain sage or mint is fine. These herbs should be used with extreme caution by pregnant women

• Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature, ventilate the room often. Choose linen and sleepwear made from natural hygroscopic materials.
• Try to find the most comfortable sleeping position. Use pillows of various sizes and shapes. They are comfortable to put under the waist or legs. Or get special ones designed for expectant mothers. Try not to lie on your back. It is better to sit on your side with a half turn forward. This will give your baby the best possible blood supply.

Regular yoga classes, slow soothing music, pleasant smells and dimmed bedroom lights promote good sleep

And the last thing: in no case do not use sleeping pills without a detailed consultation of a doctor. Such actions often do not solve the problem, but only harm the he alth of mother and baby.